Aa growing number of Chinese companies are laying the groundwork for an unprecedented expansion of satellite infrastructure. Recent filings indicate that Chinese firms are planning to deploy more than 200,000 internet satellites, with formal submissions submitted to a UN agency shortly after Beijing publicly raised concerns over the congestion caused by Elon Musk’s SpaceX constellation.

Toward the end of last month, more than a dozen separate proposals from Chinese satellite operators were lodged with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the global body responsible for coordinating radio spectrum and orbital slots.

The most ambitious of these initiatives, known as CTC-1 and CTC-2, were each designed for 96,714 satellites. 

Orbital congestion rises as Starlink gains regulatory green light

Orbital capacity is rapidly becoming one of the most contested resources in the global space economy, as Washington and Beijing accelerate the deployment of massive internet satellite networks. While both countries are investing heavily in megaconstellations, the US currently holds a decisive advantage, driven largely by SpaceX’s Starlink system, which now represents the majority of active satellites in low Earth orbit.

However, radio frequency spectrum and orbital positions are finite, and early entrants are able to secure long-term priority over these critical assets. In this context, the US Federal Communications Commission announced on Friday that it has approved SpaceX to launch an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, the South China Morning Post reported.

Meanwhile, China also continues to expand its satellite plans, filing several projects with the ITU last month. China Mobile proposed its first L1 project with 2,520 satellites, while Shanghai Spacecom filed for 1,296 satellites as part of the Qianfan megaconstellation. Larger networks are also in the works, including Guowang with around 13,000 satellites and Qianfan aiming for over 15,000 by 2030.

Space race heats up with Starlink’s 42,000-satellite plans

Beijing has also raised concerns about SpaceX’s Starlink network, which is already crowding shared orbital paths and creating potential collision risks, as SpaceX’s plans include the launch of 42,000 satellites, far outpacing other operators.

In December, one Starlink satellite experienced an unexpected malfunction and began an unplanned descent. Each Starlink satellite is built to last about five years before it is intentionally deorbited and burned up in the atmosphere. Earlier this month, SpaceX announced it would lower the orbit of roughly 4,400 satellites from 342 miles to 298 miles above Earth this year, a move aimed at reducing the risk of collisions.

Now, the race to fill low Earth orbit with internet satellites is intensifying, as nations compete for limited radio frequencies and orbital positions. Satellites in this region typically orbit between 250 and 1,240 miles above Earth, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

ITU regulations, set in 2019, require that satellite systems be operational – or have at least one satellite launched – within seven years of the initial filing. Operators must then deploy 10 percent of their planned constellation within two years, 50 percent within five years, and complete the full network within seven years.